Continental VikingContact 7 Now in Canada

[schocker]

I was very bored yesterday so I was looking at winter tires for my golf. For the most part, Nokians are the only european style (I think I actually meant nordic) winter tire available here outside of smaller brands like gislaved etc. It looks like continental has replaced a couple of their models though with the VikingContact 7 which is rated as one of the best non-studded tires. Perhaps other brands will start bringing their european winter tires here. This will also be an option so you don't only have to rely on only kaltire.

https://www.continentaltire.ca/car/tires/vikingcontact-7

http://www.skstuds.ca/winter-tire-tests/
https://translate.google.com/translate?depth=3&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=no&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://www.naf.no/forbrukertester/dekktester/vinterdekktest-2018/&xid=17259,15700021,15700124,15700149,15700186,15700191,15700201,15700214
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GD6qtc2_AQA/maxresdefault.jpg

[killramos]

What a “European style winter tire”

[schocker]

What a “European style winter tire”

Basically better winter tire models than they give us here that are meant for the nordic countries. Most are studded but some like this one are studless.
http://www.skstuds.ca/2019/02/14/2018s-best-the-latest-and-greatest-winter-tires-tested-by-the-naf/

[cyra1ax]

Basically better winter tire models than they give us here that are meant for the nordic countries. Most are studded but some like this one are studless.
http://www.skstuds.ca/2019/02/14/2018s-best-the-latest-and-greatest-winter-tires-tested-by-the-naf/

That's a great link. Was thinking that performance on the Hakka R3's were down vs the Hakka R2 so it's nice to see someone else confirm my suspicion.

[ThePenIsMightier]

That's a great link. Was thinking that performance on the Hakka R3's were down vs the Hakka R2 so it's nice to see someone else confirm my suspicion.

Until someone makes a winter tire that outperforms a Blizzak WS50, no care. New Blizzaks aren't as tremendous as those but still... Their newer 60's, 70's and 80's are doing nothing but kicking ass and taking names. DMV's, too.
You look at xIce compared to its previous generations and they're trash. Hakka's are locked up by Kal Tire so they cost so God Damn much I don't care how good they are and I resent Kal making a trillion off me if I bought them. Plus now you hear^ they're getting weaker.
iPikes were all talk & no action - the ones I had on the front were so bad they'd lock and my old S-Class would push me from the back into a curb at idle.
Just. Buy. Blizzaks.
Studded tires are for Iqaluit. Sure, you can buy them here for the 0.5 days/year they're needed while the rest of the time you're going deaf and shaking the fillings out of your teeth. It's silly.

[schocker]

That's a great link. Was thinking that performance on the Hakka R3's were down vs the Hakka R2 so it's nice to see someone else confirm my suspicion.
Yeah, I had always thought they were some halo winter tire essentially. Just didn't realize companies were making different winter tires for other markets since canada gets a lot of winter.

Until someone makes a winter tire that outperforms a Blizzak WS50, no care. New Blizzaks aren't as tremendous as those but still... Their newer 60's, 70's and 80's are doing nothing but kicking ass and taking names. DMV's, too.
You look at xIce compared to its previous generations and they're trash. Hakka's are locked up by Kal Tire so they cost so God Damn much I don't care how good they are and I resent Kal making a trillion off me if I bought them. Plus now you hear^ they're getting weaker.
iPikes were all talk & no action - the ones I had on the front were so bad they'd lock and my old S-Class would push me from the back into a curb at idle.
Just. Buy. Blizzaks.
Studded tires are for Iqaluit. Sure, you can buy them here for the 0.5 days/year they're needed while the rest of the time you're going deaf and shaking the fillings out of your teeth. It's silly.
The thing that caught my attention the most was that the xice3 has been around for 7 years. That seems like a long time (Especially for michelin) to keep the same model around. I had been looking into studded options, but these higher end studless seem like a better options. I have the WS80 now but for my golf I will likely try the continentals unless other models popup. They have been the best I have used though. Interesting to see the trickle down tires with the old hakkas becoming nordman etc. (Thought the new altimax arctic 12 were something else but now I cant find it)

[Tik-Tok]

Studded tires are for Iqaluit. Sure, you can buy them here for the 0.5 days/year they're needed while the rest of the time you're going deaf and shaking the fillings out of your teeth. It's silly.

Unless you live on a hill where a combination of slight sun melt, and idiots without winter tires, polishes the road to skating rink conditions.